Automatic firearm



Fb. i9 1924. 1,484,163l

G. vlNoN l AUTOMATIC FIREARM l Filed 'm11 2s. 192s 2 sheets-sheet a Patented F eb. 19, 1924.

UNITED. ST

' @neuve vrNlcoN, rennt?, ITA-Lx;

meeneem To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVO VINQON, a subject of the King ofI Italy', residing vat Turin, in the Kingdom of lrltaly,l have in vented certain new and useful I'nipizbve-v ments in Automatic Firearms, ofl which'the following is a specification.V

rlhe present invention has. orits obiect a, mechanism which permits. of the discharge o automatic rearms. andin particularfau. tomatic rifles by limited bursts.. With this mechanism, by exerting a pressure'wlith the fingerupon the trigger, ay burst of affixed and constant num-ber of shots is fired.. The

weapon-*may obviously comprise means for throwing the mechanismv forY tir-ing in bursts out of operation and to permit. single shots to be fired. Y

The mechanism which forms. the.. subject matte-r of this invention, is composed ysubstantially of.y atoothed i wheel the, numbernf teeth of which correspondsuto--the number of shots which itis desired to fire per burst or toa multiple of this.Y number and which is'l mounted loose on the pivot en` which the trigger oscillates, this toothed wheelv being driven tooth by tooth. by alever operated by they breech block, at thel end; off the closing movement ofthis-latter and being oper: ated at each rotation by a; tooth, and a-trgiger lever which releasesthestriker.' and als lows it to make its operativef-movement. rIhe last tooth of thef` group of teeth-in the wheel corresponding: toa burst isynarrower than the other teeth' of, this group ajnd cannot consequently operate: the lever which releases the striker although' it! is o jerated by the lever actuated by: the breechfb-oclr` that at the end ofthe burst: of shots, the trigger lever does not release lthe striker which thus remains held. f f

In order to recommence the cring, is necessary to `first let go the trigger andv then press. again thereon; ay fingen-operated by the rotation ofV the trigger thenQproduces theI release of' the striker andthfusgfcauses the first` shot of the: newfburst. toi be; fired, the. `remaining shots owhi'clrv bek pro ducedA automaticallw by the? mir'fstY vfiring mechanism.4 5 In order to render the explanations about to befgiven clearer, havefshown .by .Way ci.. example,1 in thel aceoinpanymgf. drawings,

a form af. construction ofY the mechanism yformingthe sub}ect`matterlof my invention as yillfpplied,toV a Carbine.. I

Fihgllre is a-partial axial section of the u wapon,-the trigger.. shown in full linesbecompletely pulled' for'. the* iring ofthe first' shot.A The .datand dash 'lines'shovv the its. normal position of rest and tlifcdottdshow, it. in Vits completely pillledllposition;` A v 'Ergures and. 3j are two similar sections to tleshown'in Figure I, representingv the mechanism during the firing ofv bursts, Frgiiie. 2L illustrating'V the arrangementY off parts @t the. moment' when. the striker is held and iii which-the breech -block,having arrived at. theendV ofV its recoil movement, recommences its; forward movement and Figure 3 showing the disposition of the parts at. the moment when the breech block is about to elose and. the striker to be released.

Figure Lis aldetail view perspective of the toothed wheel mounted Iooseon the. trigl ser pinl is fixed breech of the weapon and 2 is the breech block.V The striker is. composed. offtwo, parts 3 and 5.; the firstA one, 3,

provided with-a lu adaptedto engage with .therhelifcoidal noto i-ny the breech block and the spring 4', cannot advance relatively. to the breech block; except at'the end. ofthe closing movement. The part 5 Qwhich con-v stitutes. the stri-kerjproper and" 1s provided the firing isf provided with a s.p 1;i.n,: gl and ai rear liek-sady 5f engagingy with an automatic. stop 7 the latter having a spring Blandser-vii-ig-toV hold backthe striker until noV thetrigger leverreleases it by moving the the Tigger-lever which provided.' with a lea/eli. teeth lfmgegne ,with the' teeth i 0i a tcothesl wheel 13.,l mountedloose@ the rin le, Theteethed wheel (SeeFieiIfe 4.1) caeeeblfi. Geliebte 'the number ,oil ,1. renerfburst,

or which is a multiple of this number' of shots. At the end of each group Vot teeth corresponding to a burst the toothed Wheel carries a narrower Atooth 13,- 4the thickness of which is such that it cannot engage With the tooth 12 on the trigger lever.

The trigger lever is provided at its upper part With a tooth 14 Which serves to release the automatic stop 7 of the' striker, when the trigger is completely drawn from its position of rest (represented by dot-anddash lines in Figure 1) to the position represented by dotted lines.r The trigger lever is also provided with a tooth 15` which, while the trigger is held by the pressure of the linger in its rear firing position, releases the automatic stop of the striker thus liberating this latter each time the tooth 12 on the trigger lever is raised bythe passage of a tooth 13 ot the toothed Wheel.

16 denotes an escapement tooth carried by one of the arms ci a bell-crank leverpivoted at 17. rlhe other arm18 of this lever engages at its end with the breech block 2.

This end slides in a groove 19 formed in theV breech block and terminating in an inclined face 2OV which produces (during the clos? ing of the breech block) the rotation of the bellcrank lever and consequently the movement of one tooth of the toothed Wheel 13 driven by the escapement tooth 16 (see Figure 3).

A spring 21 serves to maintain the arm 18 of the bell-crank lever in contact with the vbreech block. l y v The Working of the Weapon is as follows'z- Y Y The breech block is pulled back by hand and then let go which automatically brings a cartridge bythe breech block into the cartridge chamber ofthe barrel, the striker 5 remaining cocked.Y 'i 'l Pressure is then applied to the trigger -9 which brings the' tooth 1li'v ofA the trigger lever under `the automaticv stop 7 (see Figure 1) and'lifts this stop until the striker is released. At the end of the movement of the 'trigger the tooth 14 has arrived 'at 25 andno longer acts onV the automatic stop 7 rfhis latter can therefore automatically arrest the striker at the moment vof the re coil produced bythe iirst shot.H Byfkeepthe trigger pulled right back, fautomatic tiring in bursts is obtained, because the breech block at theend of its closing movement Will rock, by means of its inclined face 20, the bellcrank lever, -the escapement tooth 16 of Which will cause' the advance of one tooth ofthe wheel 13, thus producing the rotation'of the trigger lever, the tooth 15 of Which will lift the automatic stop 7 (see Figure 3) by releasing the striker While leaving the automatic stop7 freeV to again come into action to holdback the striker 5 when said striker arrives at the end of its travel. These movements continue automatically as long as pressure is Vapplied to the trigger until there comes opposite VVthe tooth'12 otl the trigger lever one of the narrower teeth'13 of the Wheel 13 Which cannot operate the trigger lever. vrllhe trigger is then held back by the part 7 and is not liberated When the breech block accomplishes its closing movement. To fire another burst of shots it is necessary to let go the trigger and then pull it back so as to lire the first shot by the'aid et the tooth 14 of the trigger lever and thus per mit theV bell-crank lever pivoted at 17 to move the YWheel 13 one tooth and bring into engagement with the Vtooth 12 of the trigger lever a `tooth Aon the Wheel 13 of full Width so that the trigger lever can act to iire the rem vining shots of the burst.

lnorder to render'impossible thepa'ssage of more than one tooth ot the WheelY 13 at each oscillation of the bell-crank lever this latter `is provided belovv the tooth of the escapement with a tail V26 which acts as a stop lfor the toothed Wheel and comes into contact With the tooth which follows that which is movedv each time by the 'part 16.

To permit the Weapon to fire only one shot at a time, it suilices to provide a lever or'other device of a suitable kind adapted to throW'out or operation the bell-crank lever pivoted at 17 either by moving its escapement-tooth aside or by lowering the end of the bell-cranklever. Y f

ln 'the example represented in the annexed drawings the same trigger lever carries the teeth 14 and 15 serving respectively to fire the irst shot and to lire the remaining shots ot the burst, but it is obvious that another lever could also be employed independent of the trigger lever carrying the tooth 15 and Which would be actuated by the rocking n iovement of the trigger.`

l claim as my invention Y 1. ln anV automatic iire arm, the combination, With a sliding breech block, a striker Y Vto be rocked by each tooth of thc wheel eX- vcept the special tooth but lett stationary as that'tooth passes by, and an vautomatic stop engageable with the striker to hold it in retracted position but released by each yrocking movement or' the trigger lever; substantially as described. v p

2.'An automatic firev arm, Vaccording' to Vclaim 1, in lWhichV the special tooth is relatively narrow as compared with the other teeth so as to pass by the trigger lever Vwithout operating it; substantially as described.

3. In an automatic ire arm, the combination, with a sliding breech block, a striker and a trigger: of mechanism for effecting burst firing, comprising a wheel rotatably mounted on the pivot of the trigger andhaving a group of teeth equal in number to the number of shots in the burst and also having a special tooth at the end of the group, means operated by the closing movement of the breech block Yfor turning said wheel tooth by tooth, a trigger lever pivotally mounted on the trigger and adapted to be rocked by each tooth of the wheel except the special tooth but left stationary as that tooth passes by, an automatic stop engageable with the striker to hold it in retracted position but released by each rocking movement of the trigger lever, and means operated by the movement of the trigger for releasing said stop to lire the first shot; s ubstantially as described.

4. In an automatic fire arm, the combination, with a sliding breech block, a striker and a trigger: of mechanism for effecting burst firing, comprising a wheel rotatably mounted on the pivot of the trigger and having a group of teeth equal in number to the number of shots in the burst, means operated by the closing movement of the breech block for turning said wheel tooth by tooth, a trigger lever pivotally mounted on the trigger and rocked by each tooth of the group, said wheel having at the end of the group a special tooth which is relatively narrow as compared with the other teeth so as to pass by the trigger lever without rocking it, an automatic stop engageable with the striker to hold it in retracted position but released by each rocking movement of the trigger lever, and means operated by the movement of the trigger for releasing said stop to fire the first shot; substantially as described.

5. In an automatic fire arm, the combination, with a sliding breech block, a striker and a trigger: of mechanism for eecting burst firing, comprising a Wheel rotatably mounted on the pivot of the trigger and having a group of teeth equal in number to the number of shots in the' burst, a bell crank adapted to be rocked by the 'closing movement of the breech block and provided with an escapement tooth for engagement with the teeth of said group to impart a toothby-tooth rotary movement to said wheel, a trigger lever pivotally mounted on the trigger and rocked by each tooth of the group, and an automatic stop engageable the adjacent end of the bell crank, said groove terminating at its inner end in an inclined face to engage said bell crank end during the closing movement of the breech block and thus eiiect its rocking movement; substantially as described.

7. In'an automatic lire arm, the combination, with a sliding breechblock, a striker and a trigger: of mechanism for eiecting burst firing, comprising a wheel rotatably mounted on the pivot of the trigger and having a group of teeth equal in number to the number of shots in the burst and also having a special tooth at the end of the group, a bell crank adapted to be rocked by the closing movement of the breech block and provided with an escapement for engagement with all of the teeth ofthe wheel to impart to the latter a tooth-by-tooth rotary movement, a trigger lever pivotally mounted on the trigger and adapted to be engaged and rocked by each tooth of the group, the special tooth being relatively narrow as compared with said group teeth so as to pass by the trigger lever without engaging it, and an automatic stop engageable with the striker to hold it in retracted position but released by each rocking movement of the trigger lever; substantially as described.

8. In an automatic fire arm, the combination, with a sliding breech block, a striker and a trigger: of mechanism for eecting burst ltiring, comprising a wheel rotatably mounted on the pivot of the trigger and having a group of teethV equal in number to the number of shots in the burst and also having a special tooth at the end of vthe group means operated by the closing movement of the breech block for turning said wheel tooth by tooth, a trigger lever pivotally mounted on the trigger and adapted to be rocked by'each tooth of the wheel eX- cept the special tooth but lett stationary as that tooth passes by, an automaticv stop engageable with the striker to hold it in retracted position but released by each rocking movement of the trigger lever, and a finger on the trigger lever operated by the movement of the trigger for releasing said stop to fire the irst shot; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

^ 'GUSTAVO VINQON. 

